Tag: Advent
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How Can I Stand Before God?
“‘I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he…
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How to Wait Patiently
“Listen, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the good promises that I have spoken to the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah. In those days and at that time, I will cause a righteous Branch to grow up from David’s line. He will establish justice and righteousness on…
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Pattern Your Whole Life After God’s Will
(Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24) Note: This blog post is split up into sections for ease of reading. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 In rapid fire no less than eight imperatives follow one after the other. With eight commands Paul reviews for us what “God’s will” for us is “in Christ Jesus.” These are not man-made guidelines. They…
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The Lord Sends His Servant to Announce Good News
(Read Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11) Note: This blog post is split up into sections for ease of reading. Isaiah 61:1-3 Who speaks in these verses? Whom has the Lord anointed and sent to preach good news? Isaiah identified the speaker in several earlier passages. In 11:2, the prophet wrote that the Spirit of the Lord would…
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Prepare the Way for the King
(Read John 1:6-8, 19-28) Note: This blog post is split up into sections for ease of reading. John 1:6-8 The apostle John has not yet identified exactly who the Word with the light is. Instead, he introduces a man whom God sent to be a witness to the light. The man’s name, like the gospel…
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Grow in Readiness for Jesus’ Return
(Read 2 Peter 3:8-14) Note: This blog post is split up into sections for ease of reading. 2 Peter 3:8-9 If people in Peter’s day thought that God would never return (if indeed he was ever there in the first place), how much more hardened and apathetic are the people of today with two thousand…
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The Lord Rescues His People
(Read Isaiah 40:1-11) Note: This blog post is split up into sections for ease of reading. Isaiah 40:1-2 Not just once, “Comfort”, but twice, “Comfort, comfort.” So the Lord begins with a single repeated command. The command flows from the mind of God, and God himself directed it toward his messengers, who will announce the…
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John the Baptist Prepares the Way
(Read Mark 1:1-8) Note: This blog post is split up into sections for ease of reading. Mark 1:1 Each word of this title is important in order to understand what Mark wishes to transmit to his readers. It is clear that this title is first of all a profound statement of Mark’s own faith. Mark…